A meaningful speech-in-noise benefit requires at least 6 dB of SNR improvement

Evidence

In the case of a hearing aid, it is generally assumed that the listener’s head is pointing in the direction of the sound of interest. In this way, a directional microphone selectively represents sounds to the front of the listener more than sounds to the side or the back of the listener. Assessment of directional microphones includes measurements of speech recognition thresholds (SRTs) in the laboratory, which has demonstrated great success in improving the perception of speech in noise. In some cases improvements in the SNR of over 7 dB have been observed (e. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1735 (#exemplifies, via linked claim)

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim
• XREF: connects to: The just noticeable difference in signal-to-noise ratio for speech is about 3 dB — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 5674; Directional hearing-aid microphones improve speech-in-noise SNR by over 7 dB. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1735; A 1 dB SNR improvement boosts intelligibility by 7 to 19 percent — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1734 (+7 more)

Broader Connections

• Directional hearing-aid microphones improve speech-in-noise SNR by over 7 dB. #exemplifies (0.85) — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1735
• Listener ratings of speech benefit only become significant once SNR change reaches 4 dB #qualifies (0.80)
• The better-ear advantage yields an 8 dB speech-recognition benefit in noise #exemplifies (0.80)
• Acoustic head shadow creates a better ear with higher SNR in everyday listening #exemplifies (0.80)
• A 1 dB SNR improvement boosts intelligibility by 7 to 19 percent #qualifies (0.75) — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1734
• Every 1 dB of signal-to-noise improvement raises speech intelligibility by 7 to 19 percent #qualifies (0.75)
• Adding more loudspeakers can worsen speech intelligibility by shrinking critical distance #complicates (0.72) — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 2454